40:21 Under the lotus trees it lies,
in the secrecy of the reeds and the marsh.
40:22 The lotus trees conceal it in their 1 shadow;
the poplars by the stream conceal it.
40:23 If the river rages, 2 it is not disturbed,
it is secure, 3 though the Jordan
should surge up to its mouth.
40:24 Can anyone catch it by its eyes, 4
or pierce its nose with a snare? 5
1 tn The suffix is singular, but must refer to the trees’ shade.
2 tn The word ordinarily means “to oppress.” So many commentators have proposed suitable changes: “overflows” (Beer), “gushes” (Duhm), “swells violently” (Dhorme, from a word that means “be strong”).
3 tn Or “he remains calm.”
4 tn The idea would be either (1) catch it while it is watching, or (2) in some way disabling its eyes before the attack. But others change the reading; Ball suggested “with hooks” and this has been adopted by some modern English versions (e.g., NRSV).
5 tn Ehrlich altered the MT slightly to get “with thorns,” a view accepted by Driver, Dhorme and Pope.